Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1887-01-20
THAT QUEER CHICAGO GIRL.
Why She Wants to Marry the Con
demned Anarchist.
From the Ne,o York Wo,ld.


CHICAGO, Jan, 17.-Miss Nina Clark
Van Zandt, the young woman VINO Is to
marry August Spies, the Anarchist, is a
person of fine features and form and a
face of far more than usual intelligence.
She dresses 10 the height of fashion,
though tastefully and without vulgar dis
play. Miss Van Zandt was born
at Philadelphia Jan. D, 1866. Her father,
who is a well-knOwn chemist, employed by
the firm of James ). kirk, soap manufac-
turers, belongs to one OF the old Dulcn
families which removed to New York
state from Central Pennsylvania about
fifty wears ago, but Mr.. Van Zandt was
born in Amsterdam, Holland. Her mother
is a member of ScOtch-English family,
Clarke by name, and is "a descendant OF
the royal house of Stuart, and one branch
OF ner family has lived in Pittsburg for
several generations.
Miss Van Zandt is only a little more
than 81 years OF age. She is neither a
blonde nor brunette, but about midway
between those sty les OF beauty, and one
can readily trace the marks in her face
and expression of her three different lines
of ancestry. Her form is above the aver
age in Its graceful outlines and her car
riage is all that the most eXacung would
demand.
HOW IT CAME ABOUT.
When she once became Interested in the
trial of the Anarchists she became a reg
ular attendant at Judge Gary's court.
She says that, misled by what she mad
! heard of the prisoners, VINO had been
! painted to her as monsters and uncOuth
! and uneducated barbarians, she was very
| much, and 1t would seem by the result
! very pleasantly, disappointed when she
! came TO know at least one OF them init
mately.
| HER FATHER WOULD NOT OPPOSE HER.
Mr.. Van Lsndt, in answer to questions,
said: 81 am the chemist and pertumer at
/ kirk's factory, but, outside OF that, my
| daughter is an heiress. Being the only
| child in the family she will be left the for
/ tune Of her aunt in Pittsburg, which
amounts TO 100000 or 100000. | have
! given my consent TO the marriage for sew
/ eral reasons. In the first place | have
! treated her as | was treated by my own
| parents. | gave her my confidence, and
! she has given me hers. and sue mas never
! betrayed my confidence or kept any Sc
crets from me. Though OF "a gentle dlspo-
sitiOn and most atlectiOnate daughter
and obedient IN every hing, she Is girl
OF decided will and | knew, knowing her
pose her wishes when once
firmly formed, so when she
preached the subject to me | simply
told her to think seriously and calmly
about the matter before she d, cided TO
take this step. She first saw Mr.. Spies
several years ago, accidentally. We had
lost dog, which was a great pet OF the
family and especially Of my daughter,
and she advertised for IL In nearly all the
papers, and among others the Arbeiter
Xeltung. The acquaintance at that time,
however, was mere passing one. They
seemed to have been peculiarly attracted
TO one another, though she did not at that
time ascertain bis name and never saw
him again until the trial OF Spies and the
other defendants in the Anarchists
case. The way in which my daugh
ter happened to attend the trial was
this: We, myself and wife, are members
Of the Fourth Presbyterian Church, and
Judge Gary, who presided at the trial, is
member OF the same church. He in
Vlted the members OF the church, and
especially the ladies, TO attend the trial,
aud promised to see that they got seats,
and many OF the ladies', my daughter
among the number, were gwen seats on
the bench, on several occasions. by the
side OF the Judge. Ii was while thus
seated in the court room that she recog.
nized in the prisoner the gentleman whom
she had met at the Arbeiter Zeitung